The Truth Beneath The Rose
by XxAliGoldsworthyxX
Summary: Amalia is on the run from her psycho boyfriend, Damon, when she ends up in Forks. She then meets Edward Cullen, and as they are drawn to each other, she is welcomed into the Cullen family. She soon finds that she's a half-blood, and she is being hunted.
1. Chapter 1

I was driving. That's all I knew. I wasn't totally sure where yet, but I was getting away from here. I was almost in 'Forks, Washington,' according to the road signs.

I am Amalia Medina. I don't live with my parents. I ran away from them when I was about 13. I am now 17 and I am from Pennsylvania— the place I am now running away from. I don't have many childhood memories. I do remember that when I was little, kids used to play with their shadows and I never saw mine. I was always the weird, lonely little girl. It was the one memory I never forgot, oddly.

Something else I remember from my past is that when I was 13, I realized that I liked blood. I liked the taste of it, and I craved it sometimes. It was weird, and it frightened me at first. But one day, I was thirsty all day. I drank about a gallon of water, and I decided I just wanted blood. So I cut my wrist and drank my blood. And I continued doing it until this very day. I cut myself every now and then to drink my blood, but it never hurts. I really never feel pain; and if I do, it has to be a very intense pain.

I lived with my boyfriend, Damon, for about a year and a half now. He knew never knew about me drinking my own blood, but he would probably be okay with it if he knew. We have been together since we were 12, and he has always been that bad-boy, keep-your-distance-or-else, emo, tough guy type. I was always into that, but after about 2 years, I realized I didn't want a relationship like that anymore. I wanted to start over. But I knew that Damon would never understand this, and he is too ignorant and destructive to listen to me. So one day I decided to try and sneak out…

_Damon was fast asleep, and I was silently getting up, slowly moving forward, making my way to my dresser. I snatched the keys off of the top of my dresser and slowly put them in my pocket. I slipped on my worn out black converse and tiptoed out of the room. _

_I was in front of the door, pulling on my jacket, when I felt a hand grab my shoulder roughly and whirl me around. I gasped and looked up to see Damon's face, his dark grey eyes glaring down harshly at me. _

"_Where do you think you're going?" he growled. _

"_Um… I… was going… to the store," I stuttered. I knew that he was aware that I was lying and was trying to leave._

"_Yeah, right," he snarled. He suddenly grabbed me and lifted me off the ground. He is roughly carried me toward the living room, which is only about a few steps away. He threw me on the tan leather couch and I hit my head on the wall behind it-hard._

_He pinned my shoulders to the couch and I couldn't move._

"_You are NOT leaving me. You're staying with me, ok!" he spoke in clear, hateful words to me. I could see the anger and viciousness in his eyes, and I knew I couldn't go anywhere._

_I nodded, because it's all I can do after that blow to the head. _

"_You love me, don't you?" He asked me… he was still angry, but I heard the desperation in his voice._

"_I do love you, Damon," I told him. And I did. I just couldn't be with him anymore._

So that's what got me running—again. I was running away from my life and running away from Damon, who was sure to come after me if he ever found out where I was going. He didn't know I left of course, but he's definitely found out by now. I left at the crack of dawn this morning, because Damon wasn't home. He was staying at some friend's house, after a party.

I threw whatever I had into 2 suitcases, my must-haves including my converse and black leather knee-high heels, all of my shirts, shorts and pajamas, my makeup and jewelry, my keys, a picture of me and my best friend, and a picture of me and Damon. I put my stuff in my car, and just started driving. I tried to think of the least suspicious place I could go, that no one would suspect. So I just drove, until I started seeing some signs on the road about an upcoming town in Washington, called Forks.

Seemed small and unsuspicious to me, so I decided this was going to be my destination. It was already dark outside, and I was sure I was about half an hour to an hour away from Forks.

I am on a freeway, when I glance in my side view mirror and see a boy strolling on the strip of land on the side of the freeway.

The first thing I notice is that he is shirtless. He is tan and built, with black hair that sticks up in different directions. He looks kind of young. He has a sort of blank expression on his face, and he has a scrunched nose.

I pull over next to him and turn off my car. I open the door and get out. I feel the fresh summer air and the warm breeze blows softly. He notices me and stops walking. I approach him slowly, and stop in front of him.

He just looks at me questioningly for a moment, before speaking.

"Hi… is there something you need?" he says politely and smiles.

"Well, I was just about to ask you the same thing," I say and raise my eyebrow.

"Actually, no. Nothing I need. Well my name's Jacob, by the way," he says and smiles again, showing his perfect white teeth. He extends his hand toward me, for me to shake. I awkwardly reach out and shake his hand, and quickly let go. I unconsciously stroke the scars on my right wrist and look down.

"So what are you doing walking on the freeway? Feeling reckless?" I ask him sarcastically and cock my head to the side slightly. He looks into my baby blue eyes and stares into them for a moment before answering.

"Nope. Just taking a stroll… on the freeway…" he responds.

"Well, it's getting dark. Where you headed to?" I ask curiously, running my hands through my scene looking black hair and adjusting the pink bow in it. My hair had one pink streak on the right side and a coon tail underneath, coming forward and over my shoulder.

"Um… I'm actually headed back to Forks, if you know where that is," he responds shyly.

"Oh, I'm actually going there, too. You… want a ride?" I ask hesitantly.

"Um… well… you sure?" he says unsurely.

"Just get in the car," I say with a wink. I start heading around the back of the car to my side, and get in.

I look through the passenger window and see him standing outside of the car, looking at me. He shrugs and opens the door, getting into my car.


	2. Chapter 2

_A.N. Oops! Forgot to let you know, this is my first fanfic, so please cut me some slack :) thanks! _

He sits down and turns toward me.

"So… I've never seen you around here before. What brings you here?" Jacob asks me.

What was I going to say?_ 'Um, well the truth is I am a 17 year old, emancipated girl and I cut myself to drink my own blood. I've also been living with my crazy emo boyfriend for about 4 years and trying to escape for like a year or 2. I'm running away for the 2__nd__ time and as far as I'm concerned, I have no family or any place to stay. And the best part is, I have no idea where the hell I am right now!' _Doesn't really seem appropriate to say to a stranger…

"Well I am new here. I'm moving out here on my own- temporarily- because my parents are on a really important year-long business trip for their job," I lie.

"Well, that sounds… interesting. You know… you never told me your name," he says hesitantly.

"Oh! Sorry… um, I'm Amalia," I say, blushing at my stupidity, forgetfulness and rudeness. He laughs and I realize, up close… he's kinda cute.

I crack a small smile and stick the key into the ignition to start the car. As I take off he asks, "So how old are you?"

"I'm 17. How about you?" I say while driving and struggling to figure out the way.

"Wow. I'm 16. Just turned 16 4 months ago. So… not to be nosey… but what school you plan on going to?" he asks in his cute little shy voice.

"I… don't know. Is there a local one?" I ask, realizing I have no plan whatsoever for what I'm going to do with my new life.

"Yeah. There's Forks High School, but I go to the one down on the reservation," he informs me.

"That local one sounds good to me," I say and smile sweetly. Although, inside, I feel a little sorry for Jacob. I can tell he likes me and is trying to befriend me, but he doesn't know what he would be getting himself into. I am just a mess, bringing down everyone who gets too attached to me with my misery and horrible life…

"Cool… oh, um… you can get off here," he tells me and points to an exit to the right. He tells me to drive down and take a right, and I stop in front of a small, brick house.

"This is it," he says and sighs. "Hey, um… thanks for the ride… Amalia. It was nice meeting you," he says politely.

"No problem… Jacob," I say, looking into his dark brown eyes while he looks into my eyes for a moment.

"Well, here's my number, in case you ever need anything. Even a place to stay. You can just call me," he tells me, handing me a folded yellow sticky note. I put it in my pocket.

"Thanks," I say, smiling. This has to be the most I have smiled in the last 2 years. "Bye."

"Goodbye, Amalia," he says and walks out of the car. When he walks inside, I take off, with no idea as to where I'm headed next. I pull over and unfold the note curiously, and sure enough, it says:

JACOB BLACK: 360- 555- 6948

P.S. YOU LOOKED A LITTLE LOST, SO A GOOD HOTEL IS 'THE INN' (177 OAK ROAD)

I smile to myself. This 'Jacob' kid seemed really sweet, but I don't plan on calling him or coming to his house. I don't want to get close to him and drag him into the big mess that is my life. He seemed really pure and kind, and I don't need to contaminate someone so good.

So I continue driving, looking for the hotel that Jacob recommended. I can't find it, so I pull over and decide to ask someone for directions.

I see a girl who looks about my age, walking on the sidewalk in the dark. She has short, spikey dark hair. She is petite, with a small frame. She has a small face, and she is skipping along the deserted sidewalk.

"Um, excuse me?" I say as I tap her shoulder from behind. She turned toward me and smiles knowingly when she sees me, as if she were expecting me…

"Hi! Yes? What is it you need? I'm sure I can help!" she says cheerily. I notice her sparkling topaz eyes, almost like honey. They look like liquid, and they are gorgeous.

"I was actually going to ask you for directions to some hotel called 'The Inn'… so you know where it is?" I ask sort of suspiciously.

"Of course I do! I know where EVERYTHING is in this small town," she responds and smiles. What was with all the smiling people in this town? She hands me a folded white piece of paper and I unfold it to find that it's a map. Why was she carrying around a map of Forks? She was really starting to freak me out, because it seemed as if she knew that we would be here, right now, having this conversation, before it happened.

"Um… thanks," I say unsurely. "See you around, I guess…"

"Ok! My name is Alice, and you can find me anywhere in Forks, really. So if you need anything, anything at all, I'm here!" she says in that same cheery voice. She was really starting to get on my nerves.

"Ok. Thanks…" I say and head back to my car. Everyone over here already seemed all smiley and cheerful… not really my style, but I would have to deal. I notice there is something written on the back of the map:

Alice Cullen: 360-555-0948 Remember: if you need anything, look for me or call anytime!

I swear, the next person who tells me that will SUFFER… so I follow the map to the other side of the small town, where it is it up and active. I see a sign that says 'Welcome to Port Angeles!' I keep driving until I come across a building with a lit-up sign that says 'The Inn.' I park in the parking lot and turn off my car.

I sit there for a moment, and I just sigh as I think about how messed up life is. I think about Jacob smiling and telling me to call him. I think about Alice's annoying little cheery voice and her skipping. Then I think about Damon, with his dark hair and eyes and clothes and personality. He really does look intimidating, and he is. I am thinking about what would happen if he found me, and I get the shivers. I shake the thought from my head and get out of my car.

The parking lot is dark and empty, and I see a figure move in the corner of my eye. I look in that direction for the cause of the movement but there is no one. I am tired and as I get close to the front door, I remember I have no money. It's in my suitcase, and I should save it for more important things. So I go back to my car, frustrated, and just lay down in the back seat.

I close my eyes and sleep comes quickly.

I wake up to a knock on my window. I look up, still dazed from sleep, and I see Jacob standing outside of my car, smiling.


	3. Chapter 3

_A.N. Okay, so in the last chapters I ceased to mention that Amalia lived with her aunt when she ran away, BEFORE she moved in with Damon. Very imporatant! Thanks :P Please REVIEW! _

"AH!" I yell, startled by him. He laughs at me and I glare at him, but I can't resist a small smile. I open the door and get out of the car. It is cloudy and grey outside, but warm.

We are both still smiling and he breaks the ice.

"So, camping out in your car?" he asks sarcastically.

"Yeah, I guess. I didn't have any cash to stay in the hotel, and I was too tired to go to the bank. Plus, I feel more secure in my car anyway," I tell him. I remember that I was too tired to look in my luggage for cash last night, and so I assumed that I had none. But now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I hauled about $250 into my suitcase before leaving.

"Wow. You could have called me, you know. I told you that you could crash at my place if you needed to," he reminds me and smiles.

"Well, I don't really know you like that…" I joke with him.

"Don't worry, I don't bite," he jokes back. "Well how do you feel about breakfast? There's a really good diner up the block…"

Now that I think about it, I'm starving. I was just travelling yesterday, so I didn't eat anything except gum and sunflower seeds on the way. So I accept his offer and he leads the way.

We get to the diner, and seat ourselves. I look across the aisle and there are more booths… and in one of them, I see a boy. He has bronze hair, he looks flawless with an intense look to him, and I mostly notice that he looks familiar. He is with a girl with dark brown wavy hair. She is dressed pretty dull and has an oval face. She seems really plain to be with an amazing looking guy like that.

I notice that she has a plate of food in front of her, while he doesn't. He is just watching her.

The boy and I lock eyes for a moment, and I notice that his eyes look like liquid topaz, those same eyes as that Alice girl. I look back at Jacob. I notice him looking at that plain girl, before rolling his eyes and turning back to me.

"Who are they?" I ask him. Maybe he knows, since it seems like everyone knows everyone in this small town.

"Them? That's Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. Edward is mysterious, and he doesn't really talk to anyone. He seems quiet, but he's a real jerk…" Jacob says. I wonder why… "And Bella? Well, she's something else… she has been with Edward for 2 or 3 years now. They say they're 'in love' and all that crap."

If I didn't know any better, I would say that Jacob liked this 'Bella' and was jealous and that's why he thinks 'Edward' is a 'jerk.'

"Well, well, well… looks like somebody has a little cru-ush," I taunt him teasingly.

"Well, I don't know…" he answers.

Then the waiter comes to our table to take our order.

"Ladies first," Jacob says to me.

"Oh, no. It's quite all right," I say.

"Ok. I'll have… an order of blueberry pancakes with bacon and a coffee," he tells the waiter after smiling at me.

"And I'll take a broccoli and cheese omelet with a water," I say.

"Coming right up," the waiter says and walks away.

"So, you met anyone else around here yet?" he asks me.

"Um… you and some girl named Alice. She was really weird, but nice," I tell him.

"Alice Cullen. Yup, she's a strange little one. She's actually Edward's sister. Part of the Cullen family. They're all really weird, though," he informs me.

"Really. Can you tell me a little more about these… Cullens?" I ask curiously. They seem like my type of people, but I want to know more about them first.

"Sure!" he says as the waiter puts the plates of food in front of us. "Well there is Carlisle Cullen. He's their… father. It's kind of an adopted family, so he took them all in. But he's a really nice guy and he lives for peace."

"Oh, ok."

"Then there's his wife Esme Cullen. She's super sweet and loves her family more than anything. By the way, they kind of live in pairs." He says.

"So they are an adopted family, and they live in pairs. Got it." I respond. He laughs in return.

"So next is Alice Cullen. She's weird, likes to dance, and she's really small. She's also nice. She's with Jasper Cullen. They're total opposites. He keeps to himself, always looks like he's in pain, and he's really intense. I would keep my distance…" he warns me.

"I'll do that."

"And then there's Rosalie Cullen. She's an evil Barbie. She's with Emmett. He's that big, football jock type of guy. They're that popular couple that everyone admires, like Barbie and Ken. Or the cheerleader and the football player. You know what I mean," he explains and smiles. I smile back and nod.

"Not really my type of people… but ok," I say. He laughs and continues.

"And last but not least, Edward and Bella. Bella has her own family, but she's like part of theirs, too. And that's the Cullens." He finishes off.

"Hmm… well, alright," I say to him, smiling and starting to eat. He smiles back.

We eat in silence for the rest of the time, and he pays.

"Hey, thanks," I say. And I mean it. He befriended me, paid for me, and stood with me even though I'm weird and not very friendly at all.

"No problem. So, you going to register for school?" he asks genuinely.

"Yeah, I should. You… want to come?" I ask him. We were becoming friends, and I couldn't really stop it now.

"Sure! Um… yeah," he responds a little too quickly. I giggle and we start toward my car. I start the car and he points the way toward the school. It's Sunday, so I'm surprised that it's open.

I pull into the parking lot and it is empty.

"So… you coming in or you staying here?" I ask him.

"Um… I'll just stay and watch the car for you," he responds.

"Ok… I'll be right back," I say. I smile and start walking toward the school. I get inside and it is empty. I walk down the hall to the main office and there is a woman behind the desk.

She glances up at me. She is… big with blond hair—barely any. She looks kind of like a lunch lady who'd name should be Helga or Betsy, and she has a bored look on her face.

"Can I help you?" she asks with a western sort of accent.

"Um, yeah. I'm Amalia Medina. I'm here to register for school. I'm new here," I say.

She sighs and gives me a form to fill out:

Full Name: Amalia Zyfiama Medina

Age: 17

Grade: 12

Gender: Female

And all that great stuff they want to know about you. I fill out the form and hand it back to the lady.

"You can start tomorrow. School starts at 8:45am," she says like she's been through this a million times before. She hands me my schedule. I take it and thank her.

I walk outside and see Jacob leaning against my car. I stroll over to him.

"So how was it? You get your schedule?" He asks.

"Yup. Anyway, what should we do now?" I ask. I was bored, and it was about 2 in the afternoon. I had school tomorrow, which I was dreading, so I may as well make the best of the time I have.

"Well… you maybe want to come to my house to hang out?" he asks me. Well, why not?

"Sure," I respond with a smile and a nod.

We drive to his house and we are in front of his door.

"Um… my dad isn't here. He's fishing with Charlie, Bella's dad," he tells me. He seems sort of nervous.

"It's cool. I think we're old enough to be here without parental guidance," I tease him. "Nothing to worry about."

"Cool," he responds and grins before opening the door. We walk inside, and it's not too big or too small. It's… cozy. There is a dark red leather couch and across from it, a flat screen TV sitting on a desk.

"This is the living room… and there's the kitchen," he says and points forward, where there is, as a matter of fact, a kitchen. "Why don't we go to my room?"

"Ok," I say and he leads the way. We go into the living room and there's a doorway there with stairs going down. We go down the stairs and there is a door.

We open it and there is a dark blue carpeted floor. There is a small loveseat against the wall and it reminds me of the one back home…

There is a medium-sized flat screen mounted on the wall and a black dresser next to the couch. There is a bed against the wall opposite to the TV. It is full-size with a light blue quilt on it. It is made to perfection and the room is very neat. There is a black nightstand behind the head of the bed and there is a blue lava lamp on top of it. There's a black beanbag at the foot of the bed and there are posters of wrestlers and other guy things overlapping and filling the wall that the bed is pressed against.

I take in my surroundings, and he says, "This… is my room."

"COOL! This is awesome," I exaggerate and smile at him. I sit down on the loveseat and he comes and sits next to me.

"So… you play video games?" he asks me.

"It depends… what game are you thinking about?" I ask smugly.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N Okay, so I hope you liked the last chapters! Also, it's not going anywhere with Jacob, just so you know. It's about Amalia and Edward __ Just so you're not mislead. Anyway, please R&R, and tell me what I can improve on or any of your (Don't worry, the action is coming!)_

We were sitting on his bed now, playing a race-car video game on his PS3. I cross the finish line in the game, smiling as I come in 1st place. Jacob crosses a second after me, and the screen flashes:

1st place: Amalia!

We look at each other, and I say, "Well, looks like you just got beat by an un-experienced girl." I smirk.

"Guess so. But at least it was a pretty one," he comments and smiles. I look down, blushing, and say, "Well, I should probably get going now. I've got school tomorrow. So… see you around?"

"Sure. I'll walk you out," he says politely. We walk upstairs, and we're in front of the door. "So… call me?"

"Um… yeah, I'll try my best," I say with a small smile and walk outside. It's a little darker outside, so I check my sidekick for the time as I'm walking to the car. My phone says its 8:00pm, so I better get my stuff ready for school.

I turn around once more before getting into my car to wave at Jacob, who is watching me go. He waves back and grins before going inside and closing the door behind him. I get into my car and sit there for a moment, reflecting everything that happened today.

I mostly just hung out with Jacob. I decided he was pretty cool, and now, there would probably be no getting rid of him. He seemed really friendly. So I guess he would be considered my first… friend in Forks. Speaking of friends, Jesalinda, my best friend, was probably worried sick about me!

She was always calling to make sure I was ok because she knew about how short-tempered Damon was and how I wanted to leave. She always told me I should just report him to the police…

"_Hey, sweetie! How are you?" Jesalinda said with her cheery voice that always made me feel better, as she ran up to me and gave me a big hug._

"_Hey. I'm ok. You?" I asked with a low voice._

"_What's wrong? I can tell already. What happened?" she asked nervously. She knew me all too well. I decide I should tell her what happened._

"_I tried to leave again, but he caught me," I said as my voice cracked slightly._

"_Oh, no. Amalia! You have to report him to the police or something already. We can't keep going through this. He can end up really hurting you, and I can't let that happen," she said as anxiety and worry crept into her voice. I was bringing her down with me, too._

"_No, Jes. I can't leave," I respond. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, I promise. Everything will be ok. He would never hurt me on purpose."_

"_Yes, he would and he could, Amalia! You can't keep staying there!"_

"_No, Jes. He loves me," I say, because he does. That's why he won't let me leave._

"_He may love you, but sometimes people do crazy things out of love. I would know," she said. She went through some crazy love stuff too, but now she was in a committed relationship with her boyfriend Drew for almost 4 years. "And you want to leave."_

"_But I love him, too, Jes. You don't understand. I love him more than anything, and you know that you and him are the closest things I have to family." So why did I want to leave? Because I just needed to, and I had to start over_

But Jesalinda cared about me, and we have been best friends since 3rd grade. So I had to find some way to get in touch with her, but I couldn't text her where I was or any information, in case Damon found out somehow.

I pull out my sidekick and flip it open. 12 missed calls. 7 from Jesalinda and 5 from Damon… 4 new voice mails. I call voicemail and type in my passcode:

7-9-07… the day Damon and I first met in 7th grade.

_I was walking home from school and the block was deserted. It was around 4:30, and I didn't see anyone around. I just put my headphones into my ears and listened to 'The Howling' by Within Temptation, letting the words and the rhythms fill my ears and flood my brain. _

'_I feel them getting closer. Their howls are sending chills down my spine… Time is running out now. They're coming down the hills from behind… ' _

_Suddenly, I felt something hit my shoulders and I fall to the ground, my earphones falling out. I was dazed for a second, and before I could react, I saw a guy standing above me. He went to the high school a few blocks away my, and I think his name was Owen. He had dark hair and eyes, and he had an evil smile on his face. _

_I got up quickly and got my stuff back together, standing up again. I tossed my black and pink tote bag over my shoulder and tried to walk away, and he started pushing me back into a brick wall. _

"_Where do you think you're going?" he said in a deep voice. I'm pushed up against the wall, and I tried to fight back._

"_No. Get OFF!" I said. Then I saw him pull out a knife and he held it to my throat. I stood as still as possible. And before I can blink my eyes, he was off of me. He was in the headlock of a boy with jet black hair and dark grey eyes, his lips tinted ever so slightly red. He has taken the knife from him and was holding it to the back of his neck._

"_If you know what's good for you, you will leave her alone," he mumbled threateningly to Owen, as Owen struggles to break his grip. The boy defending me pushed Owen aside and Owen runs away, frustrated and startled. _

_The boy walked over to me, and just looked at me for a moment, studying my every feature. I break the ice._

"_Thanks. That was… a close one," I said to him. He smiled at me, and I realize he's stunningly gorgeous, in a dark way._

"_Maybe I should… walk you back home, just to be safe," he said._

"_Ok. Sounds good," I agree. "Oh, and I'm Amalia."_

"_That's quite a name. Very special and… intriguing. I'm Damon," he said. He seemed just my type so far… Sweet, yet tough. Mysterious, yet friendly. But mostly on the dark side, which I liked._

"_Thanks. Your name sounds very… mysterious. I like it," I said with a smirk and began walking. He fell into step behind me, and soon caught up to my pace._

I knew we were meant to be the day I found him… but I didn't know that I would have to leave.

I remember I am checking my voice mails, and the machine speaks to me.

'You have 4 new voice messages. 1st voice message:'

I hear Jesalinda's voice.

"Hello, hun. Just calling to make sure you're alright, but I guess you're busy. Call me when you get this, ok? Love you!" And the machine cuts it off with a *beep.* Her voice always manages to cheer me up and brings a smile to my face.

The machine speaks again: "End of message. To save this message, press 7. To erase this message, press 9." I press 7. "Next message."

I hear Damon's voice, and it scares me, but makes me miss him.

"Hey. I just wanted to tell you that I'm coming home soon and why aren't you picking up your phone? Anyway, I miss you. I'll see you soon. I love you…" And the machine ends the message with another *beep.* I miss him too. But I can't go back, and I have to face the fact… but it's hard to accept that I have to leave him and Jes and everything I know and love behind to start over.

"End of message. To save this message, press 7. To erase, press 9," the machine instructs. I press 7. "Next message:"

I hear Jesalinda's voice again, but this time it's worried.

"Amalia? I don't know how many times I've called. Where are you? Damon, Drew and I are worried sick. Call me, SOON. I love you, Amalia. Please call soon." *Beeeep.*

"End of message. To save it, press 7. To erase, press 9." I press 9. I don't want to hear her worried like that. "Next message:"

Damon's voice, but it isn't sweet this time.

"Amalia, WHERE ARE YOU? You need to call me. You should be HOME. I've been waiting here. Wherever you are, come home and call me as soon as you get the message, or I WILL come look for you. You aren't going very far on my watch..." *Beeeep.* I hang up without giving the machine a chance to question me. I sigh and I remember why I had to leave: because Damon isn't mentally stable, and he needs me too much. I didn't WANT to leave him, but I can't afford to get hurt with my lack of money and family.

So where would I camp out tonight? I decided to park in front of the hotel and sleep in my car again. It was 9:00 now, so I should start getting to bed. I go to bed in my clothes, and remember I need to shower. HOW THE HELL WAS I GOING TO SHOWER? There was no place to go. What to do? This is the most confusion I've felt since I left. I guess my only options were to go back to Jacob's or to… nope. That was my only option if I wanted to shower.

I decide to call him first. I take the yellow sticky note out of my pocket and dial the number on my sidekick.

"Hello?" he answers.

"Hey, Jacob. It's Amalia. Sorry, I know I just left…" I say with a small giggle.

"Hey! No, it's cool. What's up? You need anything?" he says enthusiastically.

"Actually, I was going to ask if maybe I could stop by and use your shower? I'm really sorry. I mean, I know it's weird but I have nowhere else to go and-" he cuts me off.

"Sure! It's not a problem, really. You can come by now," he says. He's so sweet and polite, and I feel so awkward asking this of someone I only met 2 days ago… but I'm desperate, so I respond.

"Really? Thanks so much. I'll be right over!" I say.

"Ok. See you soon!" he says and hangs up. I turn on the car and turn back around toward his house. I arrive and park in front, and he is outside waiting for me. I open the trunk and I'm about to pull one of my suitcases out, when I see Jacob come next to me and lift the heavy suitcase as if it weighs nothing. He smiles at me and brings it into his house as I close the trunk and follow behind. He brings it into the bathroom downstairs in his room, and I follow him. After putting it down, he looks at me for a moment.

"So, you good here? Anything else you need?" he asks, concerned.

"Nope. I'm good. Thanks," I say with a smile.

"No problem. I'll be down here watching TV," he says and walks away. I close the door and lock it, and I feel really awkward showering in someone's house I barely knew. Oh, well. Beggers can't be choosers. I take out my pajamas- a pair of black pants with pink polka dots and an old black t-shirt that said 'Punk Rock' on the front-, some underclothes, and a towel I packed.

I get a craving for blood and a burning in my throat. I take out a small razorblade I keep in my suitcase as a weapon and quickly make a slash across my wrist. It doesn't hurt; it feels as if someone scratched my wrist with their nail, but only enough to leave a pinkish line, not even breaking skin. It isn't a deep cut, but it's bleeding enough. I place my mouth on the bleeding cut and drink my blood. It tastes sweet and stops the burning in my throat. When I'm done, I rinse my wrist under the cool faucet water. I also heal very quickly, which is good. When I woke up tomorrow, the cut would be a pink scar.

I turn on the water and get into the shower, turning it only on hot. It feels good to shower, but I miss home. I still feel really weird showering in someone's house I barely even know. I take about 15 minutes in the shower before getting out.

I turn off the water, dry off, and put on my pajamas. I put my stuff away and take out my toothbrush and toothpaste. I lean over the sink, brush my teeth, and put it away. I put it back into the suitcase and brush out my hair. I dry it with the towel and step out of the bathroom with my suitcase. I see Jacob knocked out on his bed, with the TV still on. He is softly snoring, in a deep and peaceful sleep.

I tiptoe upstairs and let myself out, relieved that no one had to see me in my PJ's. I close the door and throw my suitcase in the backseat. It is drizzling outside, so I quickly get into the car, and see that it's now 9:45. I go to sleep quickly and peacefully.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N So what do you guys think so far? Please give me feedback so I can improve! _

When I wake up, I see that it's 7:00am. I am so tired and irritated that my stupid alarm woke me up, although it's good that I remembered to set it. I get up unwillingly and brush my teeth in a water fountain like a sad hobo. I go back to the car and grab my makeup bag out of the suitcase. I grab a black pair of skinny jeans with green stars on the sides, a black shirt with a skull and cross bones with a pink bow in the right corner, and my black converse from my suitcase. I hide myself in the backseat and put on my clothes.

I look in the rear view mirror and apply black eyeliner on the rims of my eyes. Then I apply liquid eyeliner to the top of my eye and give it the 'wing' or 'cat-eye' effect. Next I put on eye shadow, and make it smokey. I put on a little bit of red lipstick and I'm ready to go, right after I do my hair. I grab my hair products from the suitcase and tease it to make it big and scene-looking again. I spray it with hairspray and put in my green bow. I put in my many piercings, which include a nose stud, spider-bite lip rings, an eyebrow piercing, a skull bellybutton ring, 3 piercings on each earlobe, a bar through the top of my right ear, a small ring at the top of my left ear, and a tongue piercing.

I am ready to go, and it's 8:20. I stick the key into the ignition and drive away. I use the map Alice gave me to guide me to the school, and I'm there by 8:35 with 10 minutes to spare. I pull into the parking lot, and it's almost full. I park and sit there for a moment before bracing myself and getting out of the car, bringing my grey messenger bag with me. It has contains marble notebook, a pen, and a mini magnetic mirror for my locker. The sky is dark and it seems like it is going to rain soon. I get into the school and I look at my schedule.

It says I am assigned locker 4309, and it says the combo is 4 28 16. I turn the combination and there is a spiral notebook and 2 folders inside. I guess they assumed I would need it, which is good, because I guess everyone needs extra. Other than that, the locker is empty. I stick the small magnetic mirror to the inside of the door and check my makeup. Still good. I close the locker and check my schedule. My homeroom is room 104. I walk down the hall and into my homeroom.

There are rows of desks and the classroom is full of kids my age sitting in their desks. There is a short chubby teacher in the front of the room with glasses, a brown mustache that looks like a ferret, and only a small amount of brown hair making a U-shape around his head. I walk in and he looks at me, raising his eyebrows.

"Hello. Your name is?" he asks in a nasally voice. Everyone in the class stops talking and looks at me.

"I'm Amalia. New student. YOUR name is?" I ask sarcastically. I don't like it when people put me on the spot. I hear low laughter from the class.

"Well, hello. I am Mr. Higsworth. New student, huh?" he responds and checks his papers. "Ah! Here you are. Amalia Medina. Nice to meet you, young lady. You can take a seat next to Jordan back there," he says and points to an empty desk next to a football player looking guy in the back row. He is staring at me and gives a smile and raises his eyebrow flirtatiously when he hears I will be next to him.

I roll my eyes and sigh, walking to my new desk. I hate flirty football players. I sit down and wait for the bell to ring. My next class is biology. He scoots his desk closer to mine.

"Hey, beautiful. How you doin'?" he says. I roll my eyes and turn toward him and smirk. The whole class is turned to us and is watching us.

"You know, that pick up line just might work…" I say as he puts his arm around my shoulder.

"Really?" he says with his eyebrow raised smugly. I take the hand on my shoulder and slowly remove it from my shoulder.

"Yeah! If your goal is to… die alone," I say as I place his arm back at his side. There's an echo of "ohh!'S" throughout the classroom. The bell rings and I pat his broad shoulder before standing up and walking out. The look on his face priceless. I walk out, pleased with my work, and make my way toward biology, down the hall.

I get into biology, and I see Bella. She's sitting at a desk, with a dark blue button down shirt, worn-out light blue jeans, and the most hideous shoes ever- blue and white Sketchers. She is wearing her brown hair loose, and it falls in loose, wavy ringlets past her shoulders.

She is standing in the front of the room. She has on a white lab coat, blond hair in a messy up-do, glasses, and a mole on the left side of her face. She looked maybe in her late forties or early fifties. I walk into the classroom, and it is full. I walk up to her, bracing myself.

"Um… hi. I'm Amalia; I'm new here," I introduce myself. She glances up and does a double take and gasps.

"Oh, hello! Um… I'm Mrs. Venizia. I heard about you… You can take a seat next to Bella for now," she says and gestures to the boring girl. Great, she seems totally my type. Boring, boring, and more boring. I walk over to her and sit in the empty seat.

She takes a glance at me and goes back to what she's doing. Guess she's got some sort of attitude. Whatever. I take out my spiral notebook and pen, and doodle. I scoot as far away as possible from her, so not to have to inhale her smell.

After about 10 minutes, the teacher assigns us something to analyze under a microscope. Everyone begins chattering, and she finally turns to me.

"Um… hi. I'm Bella…" she says in a deep voice and pushes her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah… I'm Amalia. Nice to meet you…" I say. She's even more boring and manly than I thought… She probably thought I was a crazy person. Oh, well. I kind of was.

"So… you new here?" she asks and pushes her hair behind her ear again. What a weird habit.

"Yeah. I just moved here a few days ago," I respond and go back to analyzing.

"Oh… cool," she responds, pushing her hair behind her ear again. That was starting to REALLY irritate me. I glare at her through the corner of my eye when she looks away. I write down the answer and show it to her.

"Oh… maybe I should double check," she says and pulls the microscope toward her. Who did she think she was? Was my answer not good enough? I just happened to have perfect eyesight…

"Oh? Well, go ahead then," I respond, raising my eyebrows and doodling in my notebook. I carved my name in the cover:

Amalia

With a skull and crossbones next to it, when she says, "Um… yeah. Your answer was right."

"Mhm… what I figured," I respond slyly. The bell rings and I get up, putting my stuff into my bag. Damon would be proud of me… NO. I have to forget him and start new. I walk out of the classroom, and 3rd and 4th period go by quickly. Before I know it, it's lunch.

I walk down do the cafeteria by myself and decide to just grab an apple for lunch after I see the slop they call 'food.' I sit down at an almost empty table and see who I think are the 'Cullens' across the room.

First a blond strolls in with who I think is her boyfriend. She is beautiful. She has blond hair that flows down to her shoulders and a flawless face with an expression that says 'I know I'm beautiful, so go right ahead and stare.' She is pale with reddish lips, a beauty mark above the right corner of her mouth, and it looks like her eyes are black from where I'm sitting. She's wearing a fitted plain white t-shirt with a snug black sweater over it that's half zippered, a pair of tight grey jeans and black pumps, but she manages to make it look flattering. Her boyfriend is big like a football player and he has a dark buzz- cut. His face is doesn't have one flaw either, and he has a grin on his face, showing off a perfect row of gleaming white teeth. His lips are dark pink and his eyes are also black. He has on a big black t-shirt, sort of baggy dark blue jeans and black Jordans. He is quite the looker, and from how Jacob described them, I assume its Rosalie and Emmett.

Next Alice comes twirling in, with her petite frame and a small smile on her very small but cute face. There's a guy spinning her in circles as they come in, so I assume that's Jasper, her boyfriend. Alice is wearing lip gloss, a thick, cloth black headband in her spikey dark hair, a white shirt with a black vest over it, black skinny jeans and black ballet flats. Dressed stylishly, just like the 1st time I saw her. Jasper has curly blond hair, an almost skeletal bone complexion in his face, very defined cheekbones and dark pink lips. His face is intense and he does, as a matter of fact, look like he is in lots of pain. He is wearing a black button down, black skinny jeans, and black loafers. Alice and Jasper seem to go good together, in a weird way. She glances in my direction for a split second, winks, and continues twirling.

Lastly, Bella comes walking in- slowly- with Edward at her side. She is wearing the same thing she was in biology, and she has her fingers laced through Edward's, looking ahead with an ever-so-slight smile. Edward has his perfect-without-trying bronze hair messy and spiking in all directions, so it looks perfectly messy. He is wearing a light grey t-shirt with a dark grey pea coat over it, black skinny jeans, and black shoes like Jasper. His lips are also tinted red and his eyes are black. He looks outstanding in his plain outfit, and he is the most gorgeous of them all to me. His eyes are staring straight ahead, his jaw clenched tightly.

For some reason, I feel some sort of bond or connection with them, even though I don't know them. I'm watching them as they walk to the empty lunch table across the cafeteria. They sit down and Bella goes to the front to get a lunch tray, while the rest of them sit there without eating.

They are all pre-occupied with each other. Rosalie is sitting on Emmett's lap, and they are kissing passionately. Alice and Jasper are sitting close together, and she is stroking his face gently and murmuring to him while he sits and they stare into each other's eyes, his face still intense and hers sweet, still a hint of a smile.

Edward sits there waiting for Bella, a concentrated look on his face. He suddenly turns toward me and just stares into my eyes. Our gazes lock and it feels like we can see into each other's soul for a moment. As Bella is almost to the table with her tray, he smirks at me. Then he turns back to the rest of his table as Bella comes and sits next to him. She pushes her tray away and starts talking to him. She puts her arm around his neck and continues whispering. He just listens, and it seems like she's all over him, while he is hesitant.

When she leans in to kiss him, he turns his face slightly and clenches his jaw tighter. She pulls back, confused, and then gives an understanding apology. He just nods and turns back to the rest of his family.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N Hey guys! Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! By the way, sorry to all of the Bella fans if I'm being a little… harsh on her __ But don't worry, she'll have a part in it, too. Remember: Read and Review! :D _

The day is over and I'm relieved. I am walking through the parking lot, toward my car. I am about to get in when Alice jogs daintily over to me.

"Hey! How do you like it here so far?" she says as she greets me with a hug. I surrender and give her a hug back.

"It's… cool. Not many people I know yet, though," I respond truthfully.

"It's ok! You can definitely hang out with my family and me sometime, or even just me if you want. We can totally go shopping! How does tomorrow, after school, sound?" she offers enthusiastically.

"Sure. Sounds good. So you can meet me in the parking lot and we'll go from there?" I accept. May as well try to make some friends, and she just gave me that feeling that she is like a sister.

"Awesome! So I'll drive. See you tomorrow!" she exclaims and hugs me once more before skipping away to meet Jasper. She approaches him and they smile at each other before he puts his arm around her shoulder and they stroll away together. I smile and get into my car.

I take my phone out of my pocket and decide to call Jacob. I dial the number and put the phone to my ear.

"Hey Amalia," he says. He must have caller ID. I can tell he is smiling as we speak, which makes me smile.

"Hey, Jacob. How are you?" I respond.

"I'm good. I just got home from school. So you want to stay at my house tonight? I mean, it's no problem. It would be cool," he offers hopefully. I consider it, and realize it's probably my best bet. "And my dad is out of town…"

"Um… sure. I'll be right over," I respond and hang up. I start the car and drive to his house. I park in front and get my suitcase out of the trunk. I drag it toward the house and up the stairs. I knock on the door and it swings open not even 2 seconds later to reveal a very happy Jacob. I have my grey schoolbag across my shoulders and my suitcase in my right hand, rolling behind me.

"Amalia! Come on in!" he greets me.

"Ok," I say and follow behind him.

He takes my suitcase from me and holds the door open for me, like a gentleman. We walk inside and there is no one there that I can see.

"So let's bring everything downstairs and then we can come up to get some food and do homework and stuff," he says. So I follow him down the stairs and he puts my suitcase standing up next to the bathroom door. Then we go back up the stairs and I sit on the couch while he goes through the fridge. "How about a snack?"

"Sure," I say as he walks toward me with 2 packages of sunflower seeds and a bowl for spitting the shells into. He hands one bag to me, keeping the other for himself. "Thanks."

"No prob. So how was your first day at school?" he asks as he pulls a dark blue binder and pen from a black North Face book bag.

"It was… interesting. Bella's in my biology class and the Cullens go to my school."

"Really? Wow. I'm assuming you haven't talked to them, right?" he asks.

"Assumptions confirmed. But I'm actually going shopping with Alice tomorrow."

"Alice? Wow, she's going to love you if you go shopping with her. She always tries to take Bella, but Bella hates shopping. So Alice is always looking for a shopping buddy," he informs me.

"Well, Bella doesn't seem like she likes shopping and she doesn't seem very stylish either… but I'm not Bella, and I happen to like shopping. So I'm going with Alice tomorrow; get to know each other better."

"Sounds good. So how much homework do you have?" he asks me while ripping open his bag of sunflower seeds.

"Um… I think biology, math and writing. But I think the real question is which one I'll be doing, if any," I say with a smug smile as I tear open my own sunflower seeds. "But don't let me influence you. You go on ahead and give your homework your best effort."

"Yeah, ok," he says sarcastically. I smirk and take out my phone, seeing that I have a text message. I flip open my sidekick and see that it's from Jesalinda:

_Hey Amalia. I hope u r ok, because u don't seem to be answering my calls… please call me ASAP. I need 2 know that u r ok. Luv u. x3_

I decide I need to text her back. It's the least I can do. "Um… one sec, ok?" I say to Jacob. I didn't want to seem rude. I write:

_**Hey Jes. I'm ok, I promise. U already know why u haven't seen me. I made it! I'll keep in touch as much as I can. Luv ya! x3 **_

I check the time before closing the phone and putting it away. It says 5:00. I pour few sunflower seeds into my hand and pop them into my mouth, while taking my notebook and pen out of my bag. I suck the salt off of the seeds and when there is none left, I start cracking the shells with my teeth, eating the inside and spitting the shells into the bowl.

My notebook has my homework in it, and I was right about what subjects I had for homework. I decide I'll do the writing homework. We have to write about the person closest to us, describing their personalities, why we love them, their best personality trait, and other things.

Jacob looks at me and surprises me when he asks, "Do you like danger? I mean, like the rush. Are you… daring?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I'm pretty daring," I answer. "Why do you ask?"

"Well I was going to ask if you've ever been on a motorcycle before."

"Actually, I have. I kind of know how to ride," I say. I've ridden with Damon on his bike before, and he taught me a little too…

_I was 15 and Damon was 16 and a half. _

"_Come on. Just try it," he tries to convince me to get on the bike with him as he wraps his arm around my waist. "I promise I won't let you get hurt."_

"_Fine, I'll get on. Just no crazy stuff, and take it slow," I agree, giving in. _

"_I promise," he says and gives me a sweet kiss as a thank you. We kiss for a minute before we move toward the door and he wheels the sleek black motorcycle down the stairs. We are in the front of the apartment, and he rolls the bike out onto the curb. He starts it and it roars to life. This was one of the reasons Damon loved me. Because I was daring; someone who he could be crazy with. We understood each other. He puts one leg over the bike and sits down. He looks at me expectantly, and I stand there with my hands in my pocket. I walk toward him and sit behind him. _

"_Hang on," he says with a wink and gives me a quick kiss before he takes off. I wrap my arms around his waist and cling to him. Our hair and shirts are whipping in the wind and we are flying through the streets. I lean my cheek against his back and close my eyes, relaxing and enjoying the ride._

I remember that Jacob is there and I come back to the present.

"So… you want to go for a ride?" he asks.

"Ok. Definitely," I accept his offer. I stand up and put my stuff on the couch. He does the same, and leads the way out to the garage. We walk around trees and vines which makes the path seem like a jungle, before we come across the garage. There is a large rectangle opening and we go inside. There is a car- I think it's a car, anyway- parked inside and 2 motorcycles leaning against the wall.

"I'm working on a car…" he says. "I do mechanics."

"Oh! Well, that's cool. So we riding?" I say.

"Yeah. Let me just get out the bike… or do you know how to ride?" he asks.

"A little, but I think I'd better ride with you to be on the safe side," I say with my eyebrows raised and a smile. It's true; I would prefer riding with someone if it's an option.

"Yeah, definitely," he says, surprised, and rolls out the silver bike that was against the wall. We go to the front of the house and he pulls the bike out onto the curb. He puts on the kickstand and comes over to me with a helmet.

"Um, it's ok. I'm good," I say with a smile. "You use it." He laughs and tosses it aside. He takes my hand and gently and leads me toward the motorcycle. His white t-shirt and blue jeans flap in the wind as he walks. I cooperate and follow him. He starts the engine and sits down on the bike. He turns toward me and looks at me with his squinty brown eyes. I mount the bike on the seat behind him, and put my arms around his waist, but not in a loving way like I did with Damon.

"Hold on tight," he reminds me and takes off down the street. We are speeding through the streets and now we are on the road that goes alongside the beach. I take in my surroundings as the wind whips through my hair. It's a really beautiful beach, and the waves are crashing viciously against the shore.

Jacob speeds up and does a wheelie. My heart races for a moment and I cling to him, panicking for a second. He goes back down to both wheels and speeds up. We ride for about half an hour before we arrive back at his house. He parks the bike in front and I get off 1st. He gets off next and pulls the bike down the path toward the garage.

We are standing in the garage, not saying anything. He finally speaks.

"So… did you have fun?"

"Yeah, it was cool. That beach was really beautiful," I respond, remembering the beach that gave grey Forks some beauty.

"It is. That's where I walk when I'm thinking," he tells me.

"That's nice. So, I just wanted to thank you. For everything. Is there anything I can do for you in return?" I say genuinely. He's done so much for me.

"It's no problem. And no, I told you that if you needed anything to call me. I don't want anything in return," he says.

"Are you positive?" I say. I don't like owing people, and I also want to give him something; anything. "I'll just give you something small, from my heart, and it didn't cost a thing."

"Ok, fine. What is it?" he asks as I move toward him. I stop when I am right in front of him, only a few inches separating us. I look at him and wrap my arms around him, giving him a meaningful hug. He puts his arms around my shoulders and hugs me back. We stay there for a moment before I pull away gently.

"A hug. That's the LEAST I can give you," I say with a smile.

"I wouldn't have asked for anything more," he says, smiling back sweetly.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! It makes me catch mini heart attacks every time I see another review. __ Remember: R&R, and if you have any ideas, tell me! __ 3_

We walk through the vines and we get back to the house. We sit down at the sofa and continue our homework in silence. I do my writing homework, and it looks like this:

_Jesalinda- Relation: best friend. Why I love her: she is always there for me. Best personality traits: funny, loving, you can count on her. Best physical trait: her perfect teeth. What she looks like: medium tan; dark green eyes; cherry red scene hair with black highlights and front bangs. Favorite color: red. Favorite food: tacos. Favorite dessert: chocolate covered strawberries. Favorite thing to do: hair and makeup. Favorite band: Blood on the Dance Floor. _

I finish and look up at Jacob, who is watching me. When he sees I notice, he quickly looks down at his binder and begins scrawling feverishly. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I see it's a call from Jesalinda.

"Hold on. Got to take this," I tell Jacob as I pick up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello? Amalia? Oh my god, I'm so glad you're ok. Where are you?" she says in a quivery voice.

"I'm in Forks, Washington. I finally got away," I whisper. "So what's going on?"

"Um… I have something to tell you. Don't freak out, ok?" she tells me, her voice cracking.

"I won't. What is it?" I respond, bracing myself for whatever has made my best friend, who's tough as nail, sound like this.

"I'm… pregnant!" she says and bursts into tears. "I don't know what to do! I'm so sorry! I'm only 17… what have I done?"

"Oh my gosh… Jes… I don't know what to say," I say, my eyes tearing up. Then I realize I have to support her. "It will be alright, I promise. Does Alex know?"

"Yes. I just found out yesterday. But we're not ready for this. I don't know what to do, and I need you more than anything," she says desperately, crying her heart out.

"It's ok, it's ok. I'll come back. I'm on my way, ok?" I say, ready to face whatever punishment Damon has in store for me. Anything for Jesalinda.

"NO! No, no Amalia. It's ok, I promise. I will get through it somehow…" she says. We were willing to do anything for each other.

"How about you guys come see me without Damon finding out? Yeah, perfect!" I say. Perfect plan!

"Well, ok. I'm on my way. What's the address?" she says, cheering up. I give her Jacob's address and tell her about how I met him and how he's been there for me.

"Ooooooh! Looks like you're moving fast! Nice job! So, is he a hottie? Tell me all about him," she says, returning slowly to her old self.

"No, shut up Jes. He's right here," I whisper yell with a laugh. "You'll see when you come. Love you." We say goodnight and hang up.

I turn and see Jacob looking at me with a concerned face.

"Is… everything ok?" he asks awkwardly.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," I say, wiping my eyes gently and making sure my makeup isn't running.

"No, no. It's ok. I finished my homework. How 'bout you?"

"Yeah, the one I decided to do. So… um… I need you to know something"

"Ok. Anything," he says.

"Well… my best friend, Jesalinda, is the closest person to me. I had lots of trouble leaving her behind when I came here, and now she needs me. But I can't go back home. She's… pregnant. She's only 17, and she has no one. So she wants to come here with her boyfriend, and I wasn't sure if it was ok with you… but I really need your help and-" I say as my words get faster and faster. He cuts me off.

"It's OK. Everything will be ok. Of course I'll help you. They can come here, because my dad's actually in Florida for a few months. I'll give you anything you need. It will be alright," he says, comforting me. And for some reason, I believe every word he says.

"Thank you SO much. I could never tell you how much I want to thank you. Thank you a million times. I promise, they won't be a bother. Thanks so much Jacob," I say and throw my arms around him, embracing him. I am so grateful to have someone here for me. He's really amazing and giving, and I could never repay him for everything he's doing for me.

He holds me tightly and we hug for about 3 minutes before I pull away.

"If it's ok, I'm going to run to Port Angeles to get a few things. I'll be back in a few minutes," I say with a smile before walking out to my car. I start it and take off toward the civilized part of Forks, where there were people and stores and lights.

I needed to leave for a moment before I broke down. I had to figure everything out on my own.

I arrive in front of the book store and pull into a parking spot. I take the key out of the ignition and get out of the car. Maybe I needed a good book. I walk in and there are a few people browsing for books among the shelves. The bookstore is bright and the walls are painted yellow. It is a good size with many shelves to choose from.

I go to the fiction section and I see Bella looking through the shelf. She glances up and sees me.

"Oh, hey. Um, you're in biology class right?" she asks, even though I'm sure she knows the answer. I just saw her today.

"Hi. Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am. So you here with someone?" I ask.

"Um… yeah, I am. You?" she responds, pushing her hair behind her ear. Here we go…

"Nope. Actually, I was just stopping by here to look. You have any recommendations?" I ask even though I'm sure we aren't into the same type of book.

"Well, 'Romeo and Juliet' is good. It's a real classic," she says. Suspicions confirmed.

"Yeah… well, maybe I'll check it out," I say just as Edward Cullen comes toward her, his coal black eyes now a golden topaz color. Maybe they're contacts… He walks over to Bella and she turns to him. He sees me and smiles.

"Um… excuse me," he says with a polite smile. "Bella, I found a book that you might find useful for that history project, but I didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, its ok," she says staring at him, melting. It's sickening. Edward looks at me now and smiles.

"Hello. I'm Edward Cullen. I think I've seen you around school before, if I'm not mistaken?" He does have quite a smile…

"Yes, I think I've seen you around before, too. I'm Amalia. I just moved out here," I say, smiling back.

"What an exquisite name… Well, how do you like it out here so far? There's usually much more rain," he says, standing side by side with Bella.

"Thank you," I say with a smile, blushing. "And it's nice. The people are… friendly."

"That's great. So, who have you met so far?" he asks curiously.

"I've met… hmm… Jacob Black, Alice Cullen and a few others. They're really sweet," I say.

"Oh, ok. We are also friends of Jacob, but we're glad he found another friend. And Alice is actually my sister. She's very friendly, isn't she?" he says with a knowing grin. Bella just stands there, watching us.

"Yes, very. We actually have plans for tomorrow," I inform him.

"That's very nice. So maybe we will see each other again soon," he says. I think that's an invite to hang out sometime, but I'm not sure. Bella looks up at him with utter confusion and shock on her face. Was she really that surprised that he would want to hang out with me?

"Ok, definitely. So… I'll see you guys soon," I say. I smile and wave, ready to leave.

"Sounds great. Goodbye, Amalia," he says smiling back. As soon as I turn around and start walking away, I hear Bella start whisper yelling at him.

"What were you thinking? Why would you and Alice hang out with a human you barely know? What was Alice thinking? What is wrong with you guys? You could end up killing her!" she says. That's what it sounds like, although I hope I'm mishearing. Maybe that girl was just crazy.

"Calm down, Bella. Sh. There's something different about her, and Alice always knows what she's doing. Let's go home and discuss it with Carlisle, ok? Him and Alice will have to explain," he says and takes her hand, leading her in the opposite direction, to the other exit.

I walk to my car, confused, and get in. I sit there for a moment, considering what just happened. What did she mean a 'human' he barely knew? What was so wrong with him or Alice wanting to hang out with me? And what did she mean that he could end up killing me? Either there was something weird going on, or this 'Bella' was certifiably insane. Whatever it was, I was going to find out what was going on.

_A/N I was pretty happy with this chapter, her finding out things were pretty shady and all. But the more reviews I get, the more updates it motivates me to do! _


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N Sorry... haven't updated in awhile- been busy. But anyway, I should be posting ch9 pretty soon. Thanks again for the advice and all the reviews :) So in this chapter, she gets closer to Edward... REMEMBER: THERE WILL BE A REASON FOR EDWARD BEING SO FRIENDLY WITH HER! :D Ok, please R&R!_

I take a deep breath and remember how much I have to worry about now. Jesalinda is pregnant. She's coming here with Alex to see me. Damon's after me. I owe Jacob… and I just might be falling for Jacob. NO. I can't. And I ALSO have to find out what's up with Bella and these Cullens. So much to do…

I drive back to Jacob's house, and I have made a decision. The way I can repay Jacob is by telling him what's really going on in my whole life- the full story. I park in front and he is waiting outside for me. I turn off the car and stroll toward him, as if nothing happened in the bookstore.

We go inside and I say, "Jacob, I need to talk to you. I have to tell you the truth… about everything. I trust you, and please try not to look at me differently."

"I would never. You know you can tell me anything. Come on downstairs," he says. We walk into his room and sit on the loveseat. Our knees are touching, and we are diagonally facing each other. I look him in the eyes and begin.

"Ok. I am Amalia Medina. I have no parents, as far as I'm concerned. I separated myself from them when I was about 13. I lived with my aunt until I turned 15. There's always been something off about me, just so you know. I have been with my boyfriend, Damon, since I was 12. I moved in with him when I was around 15. He was a little unstable, always needed me, really destructive and short tempered. He was one of those intimidating, dark, mysterious guys. I used to like that, but then I realized he was dangerous. So I kept trying to escape, and he would catch me. So I finally did, and I came here. I had no one, and then I met you. You are one of the best things that has happened to me in a really long time, and I thought you should know. You're pretty much my best friend, along with Jesalinda. You guys are all I have… But if you've changed your mind about helping me, I totally understand. It's completely-"

"I would never change my mind about helping you. I understand what you're going through, and I want to help you… I will help you; I promise you," he says with a serious expression. I'm extremely thankful to have someone like Jacob. We haven't known each other for a very long time, but it feels like we have known each other forever. I feel that I can trust him, and that's something I don't normally do.

"Thank you SO much. I can't believe how much you're already doing for me…" I say. He tells me not to worry at all and everything will be ok, and I feel a wave of tiredness come over me.

"So… you ready for bed? You can sleep on my bed, and I'll sleep upstairs or on the sofa," he offers.

"No, no. That's WAY too much to take from you. I'll just sleep on the floor with a blanket and pillow, or even curl up here on the couch thing."

"Ok, ok. I'll open the couch into a sofa bed and you can crash there. Super comfy, I promise," he says and begins setting it up.

"Ok. Thanks. I'll go jump in the shower…" I say and walk into the bathroom with my suitcase and lock the door behind me. I need a good, hot shower to calm me down. I turn the water all the way on hot and go through my suitcase for some decent pajamas. I settle on a pair of black pants that say 'LOVE' all over them and an old black t-shirt that says 'Pennsylvania' across the front in cracked blue letters. I take out my underclothes and lay them with the pajamas strewn on top of the suitcase.

After I undress, I get in the shower and let the hot water melt me away. I wash my hair with the shampoo and conditioner I bought with me and scrub myself with my lavender body wash. I wash the makeup off of my face with the water and after about 30 minutes, I am done in the shower. I reach out of the curtain and grab my towel. I dry my whole body and my hair before wrapping the towel around myself and stepping out.

I put on my underclothes and then my pajamas, and dry my hair more. After it is not dripping wet anymore, I take out my paddle brush and brush it out, taking out all of the tangles and knots. Next, I blow dry it and I put my dirty clothes in a plastic bag and into my suitcase. I put everything into my suitcase and open the door. When I come out, Jacob is laying on his bed, watching something on the TV. When he hears the door open, he turns toward me and grins.

"There you are! I thought you were drowning in there or something. Anyway, I'm going to jump in now. Your bed's ready. You can just relax and chill. TV's on, you can turn on the play station if you want, or you can just go to sleep. Whatever you want to do," he says and smiles. I look over to what was before a loveseat, but is now transformed into a bed. There are 2 fluffy pillows at the head and a puffy featherbed coating the top of the mattress to make it comfy. There is a baby blue quilt on top of the featherbed, and it reminds me of scrambled eggs. The bed looks amazingly comfy, so I smile.

"You didn't have to do all that! Thanks again, Jacob. You go enjoy your shower," I say. He grins and walks into the bathroom, taking in only a pair of underwear, black sweats, a towel and socks. I walk over to the bed and flop down. It's like sleeping on a cloud. I put my phone under my pillow so the alarm can wake me in the morning, cuddle up in the quilt, and fall fast asleep.

I am awakened from my deep sleep in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. I wake up and look around me. I look over to Jacob's bed to make sure he's there, and he's not. His bed is empty, and messy, as if he just got up and left. I get up and walk over to his bed to find blood splatters all over the floor. I put my hand over my mouth and gasp. All of a sudden, there's someone behind me. They put their hand over my mouth and grab me.

"Sh. Sh. It's only me," the voice says. Finally, I can place the voice… deep and threatening, his cold, strong hand firmly over my mouth. It's Damon.

I pop up from the bed like a jack-in-a-box and gasp, then realize it was just a nightmare… a nightmare that seemed unbelievably real. I look over to Jacob's bed and he is there, watching me with tired eyes. I must have woken him up.

"Amalia? Is everything alright?" he asks me, his face concerned.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm ok. Sorry… just a nightmare," I say, swallowing back my fear. Just a dream… just a dream… Jacob sees the fear in my face and walks over to me to comfort me.  
"Are you sure you're ok? What happened?" he asks me. I tell him about my nightmare hesitantly and he comforts me. "It's alright. I was just a nightmare. Damon won't find you, and I will never let him hurt you, ok? Trust me," he tells me, holding my hand gently. I do trust him. I nod and tell him that I'll be fine and to go back to sleep. He listens to me and goes to lie down in his bed. He closes his eyes and I turn my face in to my pillow.

I lay there and cry. I'm not sure I know why, but I'm sure it's because of everything. Lots of pressure. My muffled cries grow softer and I stop. When I do, I don't hear Jacob snoring or steadily breathing in a peaceful sleep. He is holding his breath and I'm sure he heard me crying. I turn around, my back facing him, and go back to sleep.

When my alarm wakes me up, Jacob is already up. He's sitting right beside me, watching me.

"Are you ok?" he asks me. He looks tired and concerned. I sit up and stretch.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry about last night…" I say, embarrassed at my childish behavior.

"Nothing to apologize for, Amalia. Anyway, I'm not going to school… I have some… errands to run," he says hesitantly.

"Ok… well I'm going to go get ready, ok?" I say and walk into the bathroom with my suitcase. I take out my toothbrush and brush my teeth, then take out my clothes. I put on a pair of plain black skinny jeans, a plain red t-shirt, a black vest on top of that, and my red converse. Next I do my makeup. I apply my eyeliner and no eye shadow this time, red lip stain and put on my red contacts. People were DEFINITELY going to think I was a freak, but I didn't mind.

Lastly, I had to make my hair scene. That took a while at first, but you learn to do it faster. I could do it in 12 minutes now. I plug in my blow dryer and make sure all of my hair is completely dry before getting out my flat iron. I straighten it and then tease up the top until it is big and sort of crazy. My hair has gotten used to being this way, so it cooperates. After I tease it, I add a red bow and I'm ready to go. I change the studs in my first earholes on both ears to big silver hoops, and open the door. I walk into Jacob's room and there is no one there, although my bed is turned back into a loveseat and Jacob's bed is made neatly. I leave my suitcase outside of the bathroom door and go upstairs, after grabbing my bag.

When I get upstairs, I see Jacob in the kitchen. He is cooking breakfast. He puts food on a plate and presents it to me with a grin. I see that it's eggs and bacon. He leads me to the kitchen and we sit down at the table and eat our eggs and bacon in silence. When we finish, I wash the dishes and finally speak.

"Thanks again, Jacob," I say. "I'm going shopping after school with Alice... so I guess I'll see you later?"

"Ok. No problem. You are going to stay here for a while… right?" he asks.

"Well… if it's ok…" I respond.

"Of course! Absolutely. So see you later, ok?" he says, excited.

"Ok," I say with a smile as I walk out the door. "I'll probably be back no later than 9." I close the door and walk out to my car. I get in and drive to school. The clock on the radio says its 8:25, so I have some time. I pull into the parking lot and get out of my car. I get out and go to my locker- same routine.

I go to homeroom and I see Jordan in the back of the room again. I take my place next to him and we ignore each other. The 1st bell rings and I have History first period. I walk upstairs to room 231 and Mr. Grolf tells me to take a seat in the back of the room, at a long 2-peron desk. My partner isn't here yet, but I don't really care who it is. I open my notebook and doodle more on the inside cover when Edward Cullen saunters in.

He walks over to the back of the room and sits next to me. I just watch as he crosses the room, his golden eyes glistening. He takes his seat and turns toward me.

"So, we meet again. I suppose you remember me, correct?" he asks with a small smile. I look into his eyes and respond.

"Actually, I do," I smile back.

"I was wondering… would you like to sit with my family and me at lunch?" he asks. I am excited and surprised. I get to meet the Cullens? One step closer to finding out what's up with them.

"Sure. That would be cool," I say.

"Excellent… you know, there's just something… different about you. I don't know what it is…" he says with a concentrated look on his face.

"Well… thanks. I think…" I say and then we look up front and pretend to pay attention to whatever the teacher is talking about.


	9. Chapter 9

The bell rings and we get up. He falls into step next to me.

"So what do you have next?" he asks.

"English. You?" I respond.

"Me too. So… would it be okay if I asked you a few questions about yourself- out of curiosity?" he asks with small smile.

"Sure," I respond.

"So you're out here with your parents?" he asks me as we stroll down the hall. People stare at us and whisper to each other as we walk by them, drawing lots of attention to us. I ignore them and focus on Edward. For some reason I feel like I can trust him, so I tell him the truth.

"Well… no. I actually don't technically HAVE parents… I, um, ran away from them when I was younger and lived with my aunt until I was a little older than 15, when I moved in with my boyfriend- my EX-boyfriend. So I'm here alone, and I'm staying with Jacob- a temporary arrangement," I say with a smile as we stop and face each other outside the door of the classroom.

"Oh. Wow. That's a very… complicated life, from the sound of it. If that's what's going on, know that my family can provide you with anything you need, and we have plenty of room in our home. Plus, I think they would enjoy your company; especially my mother, Esme. Her motto has always been 'the more the merrier,'" he says with an adorable lopsided grin. I melt at the sight of his goofy smile.

"Thanks so much. I'll be sure to let you know. I'm actually going shopping with Alice after school today," I mention, smiling back at him.

"Really? That's good. She needed a shopping… buddy. If you like, you could come over our house afterwards," he offers.

"Um… sounds good. I'll see if I can," I say with a smile as we take our seats in English.

After English, Physics and Gym passed, it was lunchtime. I wasn't really hungry, so I grabbed a small mixed fruit bowl and made my way over to the Cullens table, where they were already seated. I took a deep breath and scanned over them. Emmett and Rosalie had their chairs pushed close together, and they were looking in my direction. I guess Edward had told them that they were having company… Next to Rosalie sat Alice, then Jasper, then Bella, and they were all glancing in my direction. Emmett had on a grin, Rosalie a sort of annoyed look, Alice a small smile, Jasper a pained look, Bella a slightly worried look. Lastly, next to Bella, Edward sat with an empty chair next to him. That meant I was between him and Emmett. Edward was looking at me with a barely visible smirk on his lips.

By the time I was done studying them while making my way over there, I had approached the table. Only Bella had a lunch tray in front of her, and she was quietly picking at it with her fork. I put the fruit bowl down on the table and sat in the empty chair. Edward spoke first.

"Guys, this is Amalia. Why don't you introduce yourselves?" he says expectantly to his family. Alice speaks up first.

"Amalia!" she squeaks. "I'm SO excited for later! This is my family."

"Me too," I say with a smile.

"Hey, pretty! I'm Emmett," the buff, pale boy next to me says, nudging me softly with his elbow. "You must be Amalia!" He keeps the grin on his face all the while, his golden eyes glinting with excitement. I smile back at him in return.

"Yup, that's me." Rosalie gives Emmett a dirty look and punches him in the arm.

"Hi. I'm Rosalie," she says simply, with a small smile and wave.

"Hey," I say, smiling and waving back at her. She was even more beautiful up close. She seems like a really cool person; my type. Guarded and mean on the outside, but if she likes you, a really nice girl. Next, Jasper speaks up, after what looks like a pep talk from Alice.

"I am Jasper Cullen. It's nice to finally meet you, Amalia," he says in a gentleman voice, smiling with his eyebrow cocked. He's very handsome in a scary way.

"Hey. Nice to meet you too," I say smiling back. Bella looks up from her lunch tray.

"Hey," she says in a quiet voice, and a slight wave.

"Hi," I say with a smile. Maybe Bella wasn't who she seemed to be and I was judging her too fast.

I open my fruit bowl and eat only the strawberries, thinking of Jesalinda. After finishing the strawberries, I close it and put it in front of me when I realize they are watching me.

"You don't eat much," Edward points out.

"Yeah. I don't really get… hungry much. Ever," I say. And it's true. They all glance at each other and then turn back to me. Edward looks into my eyes.

"You have pretty eyes," he says, gazing deeply into them.

"Thank you. So do you," I say, looking into his liquid-looking golden eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Alice and Jasper glance at each other, Rosalie smirk with a hint of hope in her eyes, and Bella raise her eyebrows and sigh, looking down at her tray. Emmett grins and clears his throat, snapping us out of our trance. Edward turns quickly to Bella, putting his arm around her. I guess he'd temporarily forgotten he had a girlfriend. But I only want Edward as a friend- nothing more.

She ignores him and he whispers something unintelligible in her ear, and she still doesn't react. He sighs, clenches his jaw, and turns her head to face him. When she is facing him, only a couple inches between their faces, he closes his eyes and swallows, looking in pain. He moves in closer and pulls her in for a kiss. They have been sitting there making out for about 30 seconds before he pulls away and swallows, still looking in pain, his eyes still closed. I get up and quietly walk away with my fruit bowl, headed toward the garbage can. The rest of the Cullens are watching me intently, while whispering to each other.

I dispose of the fruit bowl and stroll back to the table. I manage a small smile. I sit down and don't make eye contact with Edward. I mean, I knew he was with Bella for a very long time now, so why was I feeling so… annoyed about their make out session? I brush off the feelings I had been developing for Edward and talk to Alice instead.

"So Alice. Who's driving after school?" I say with a smile.

"I'll drive!" she squeaks. I nod and smile in return, and remember Rosalie sitting there. I turn to her.

"Oh! And Rosalie, would you maybe want to come with us?" I ask genuinely. I kind of hope she'll say yes, because I'd like to get to know her.

"Sure," she says without giving it a second thought, and she smiles at me. I smile back, and Bella looks at her in astonishment, as if surprised that she said yes. I turn to Bella. "I would ask if you'd like to come as well, but I heard you didn't like shopping…" I say.

"No, I don't. But maybe we could do something another time," she says with a smile. I nod a smile back, and then turn back to Rosalie and Alice.

"Great! So it'll be fun. I'll meet you guys in the parking lot then?" I say, excited. They both nod and just then, the bell rings. We all get up and they wait around me to say goodbye. I go to Alice and Jasper first. I hug Alice and she smiles, hugging me back. "See you later!" she says.

I go to Jasper and awkwardly stand there, not sure what to do. He smirks and holds his hand out to me. I smile and shake his hand. He has a firm grip and his hand is very hard and cold, but I don't flinch because the cold never really affects me. I smile at him and he says, "I suppose I'll see you soon, Amalia."

"Sure. Bye, Jasper," I say as him and Alice gracefully glide away.

Next comes Rosalie. She approaches me and smiles. "So I'll see you later," she says, holding her arms out to me, welcoming me into a hug. I smile and hug her. After that, I wave to her and Emmett comes to me. He reminds me of a giant teddy bear. He wiggles his eyebrows expectantly. His arms open, and he flashes his famous grin. I smile and he grabs me in a bear hug, squeezing me. He smells like cologne, the smell overpowering my nostrils. I hug him back and gasp for breath when he lets me go. He laughs and waves. "Later!" I smile and wave back.

Lastly, I turn to Edward and Bella. Edward is smiling at me, and I smile back at him.

"It was nice spending time with you Amalia," he says.

"You too," I say, smiling and fidgeting with my many bracelets; including 'Blood on the Dance Floor' cuffs, different colored jelly bangles, braided yarn bracelets, and many more. He slowly walks to me and holds out his hand for me to shake. I shake his hand and his hand is very strong and cold like Jaspers. When I turn to Bella, she is looking down, picking at her nails. I smile at Edward.

"Remember my offer; you could also stop by later if you like," he reminds me.

"Sure- I'd like that," I respond. "See you soon." I awkwardly walk up to Bella and say goodbye.

"See you around," I say and give her a quick one-armed hug and walk away. I was going to be late for class. I go to my locker and gather my books for the afternoon, ready for the rest of the day.

The last 3 periods fly by, and before I know it, I'm outside in the parking lot, waiting for Alice by my car. I feel a light tap on my shoulder and I whirl around, coming face to face with Alice and Rosalie.

"Let's go SHOPPING!" Alice squeaks and takes my hand. She leads me to her car, Rosalie following closely behind. Rosalie has a smile dancing on the corners of her lips, and she finally gives in and lets out a small giggle. I look back at her as Alice drags me along and laugh at Alice with her. We approach a bright yellow Porsche parked in between a huge Jeep and a silver Volvo. I see Emmett hop into the drivers' seat of the Jeep and Jasper get into the passengers' seat, so I assume its Emmett's car. Then I spot Edward get into the drivers' seat of the shiny Volvo and Bella get into the passenger seat.

Alice gets into the drivers' seat of the flawless Porsche with a smirk and starts the car. I look at Rosalie, because she probably wanted to ride shotgun. I step back and gesture for her to go ahead and sit in the front. She smiles at me and says, "Its fine. You sit in the front with Alice." She then opens the back and sits down, sliding to the middle. I smile back and get in the passenger seat.

Emmett's car roars to life and he rolls down his window before pulling out. He grins and looks back at Rosalie.

"Hey, Rose. Make sure you get me something, too," he says with a wink and races out of the parking lot, burning rubber. Rosalie smiles and Alice starts the car. As we pull out, I look past Alice into Edward's dark tinted window and catch a glimpse of them. It looks like they are arguing intently, and as we pass them, I see Bella look down at me from the corner of her eye before turning back to Edward.

We pull out of the parking lot and drive down a long winding road, onto the freeway. Alice and Rosalie exchange a glance through the rearview mirror before Alice speaks up.

"So, Amalia. Why don't you eat a lot? Rose and I have just been wondering, because we don't either," she says. What was I supposed to say? That I preferred blood for some strange reason? I couldn't, so I decided to beat around the bush again.

"I don't know, really. I've always been that way- since I was a child. I always figured it was some sort of eating disorder, but I prefer just drinking as appose to eating… staying hydrated works for me," I respond. That was almost the truth. They look at each other again, with an expression I couldn't understand.

"Really? Well, that's odd. Has there been any… strange occurrences or feelings you had when you were little? Because we may have a suggestion as to why you feel this way about your appetite… and other things, if that's the case," Alice says hesitantly. What was she talking about?

"Not really… I guess. I mean… I don't really know. I know when I was little, the children I knew always used to chase around their shadows or play with them and… I could never see mine- till this very day- for some reason. But I never really thought much of it. Why? What suggestions did you have in mind?" I ask curiously.

Just then, Alice looks like she goes into some sort of trance. Her eyes are completely blank, as if she were seeing a different world. She loses her grip on the steering wheel and her hands fall to her sides, as if she forgot she was driving. The car begins losing control and veering into the opposite lane as a giant truck comes speeding toward us, beeping its loud horn. My heart begins to race and I don't know what to do, when Rosalie jumps over to the front as quick as lightning, grabbing the steering wheel and getting us safely back into the correct lane right before the truck was about to crush us.

She is squatting on the flat surface between me and Alice, driving the car, just as Alice comes back out of her trance. She gasps and blinks, grabbing back the wheel, as if she didn't realize anything that just went on. Rosalie hops back into the back seat and Alice speaks.

"I'm SO sorry guys! I didn't mean for that to happen! I was just daydreaming… she says as she makes a U-turn and heads back in the other direction.

"It's okay, Alice. We're all fine," I say.

"Where are we going? The mall is in the other direction," Rosalie says, putting her head between me and Alice. Alice looks back at her through the mirror.

"We're going home- we MUST see Carlisle; _now,_" she says urgently. Rosalie sighs and sits back, as if preparing herself for something. I give Alice a confused look and decide to just go with it.

"Ok then," I respond. What was going on?


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N Okay everyone! I was… iffy about this chapter. But tell me what you guys think! And by the way… there WILL be more action- don't worry! It's coming. Also, I'm not trying to make Amalia too perfect. You'll soon find out why Edward is falling for her so quickly and is so protective over her… 3_

Alice races down the road back the way we came. We flew past the school and down the road until there were barely any cars or buildings in sight. Eventually, all there was were trees around us. She stops at the last part of pavement before the forest and parks the car.

"Don't want to mess up my car," she says with a smile. I smile back and we all get out of the car. I follow them through the forest and soon there is an opening in the trees. We walk through it and all I see is open land at first.

"Alice? Where are we…?" I ask nervously. There has to be about over 2 football fields' worth of dewy green grass before I spot a big house in the distance. We walk to the house in silence and when I approach it I find that it ISN'T big… it's HUGE. Its front is entirely glass, and it looks like it goes 3 floors up. It's beautiful. Alice smugly looks at me and smirks. Rosalie does the same.

Alice leads the way, into the perfect white door that leads into the big house. When we walk in, we find Emmett sitting on the recliner chair, watching sports in the big living room, next to Jasper, who's on the big black sofa. They glance up, and once they see me, 1st they have a look of shock, surprise and fear in their eyes. But once they contain themselves, they smile and nod at me before going back to the TV. The house is silent aside from the soft hum of the TV in the background. Alice leads us to the kitchen, where we find what seems to be Esme and Carlisle, sitting down at the table, having a conversation. When they see us, they look at me in surprise. They stand up and make their way over to us, smiling all the while.

"Esme… Carlisle… this is our friend, Amalia," Alice explains, giving Carlisle a look that I don't understand. Carlisle nods and looks at me, smiling, showing a row of gleaming white teeth. His blonde hair is combed back neatly, and he has topaz eyes like Edward.

"Hello," he greets me in a soft voice. "I'm Carlisle Cullen. I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?"

"Nice to meet you," I say, smiling back. "And yes, I just moved here."

Esme has silky brown hair that falls to her shoulders, and she is wearing makeup that makes her look very sweet, but polished. She has those same golden eyes as the rest of the Cullens, and she's dressed in a high waist black skirt that reaches below her chest down to a little above her knee, and a purple shirt with ruffles. She smiles sweetly and greets me as well.

"Hi, sweetie. I'm Esme. It's so nice to meet you," she says to me. I smile back at her.

"It's nice to meet you too," I respond.

"Anyway, glad you guys have met. Now, Carlisle, we have something serious to talk about," she says. What was she talking about? "But we need everyone to be together."

Carlisle nods in response. "Edward! Bella! Emmett! Jasper! I need you in the kitchen, please!" he calls as he makes his way to the long dining room table.

Esme follows behind him, but I quietly wait behind with Alice and Rosalie. When Jasper waltzes in from the living room, confused, Alice links arms with him and they follow Carlisle. Then Emmett comes in behind Jasper and Rosalie smiles lovingly at him before gesturing for me to follow behind them. I reluctantly do so as Bella and Edward stroll downstairs, hand in hand, Edward wearing a worried expression.

Carlisle and Esme sit across from each other at the first 2 seats on either side of the long table. Alice and Jasper do the same, Alice next to Esme and Jasper next to Carlisle. I sit next to Alice, and Rosalie sits next to me, Emmett across from her. Bella and Edward sit across from each other like everyone else, Bella next to Rosalie. I don't know if they can see that I'm worried and confused, but I do my best to hide it, running my hands through my hair.

"Carlisle, I think there may be a possibility that…" Alice whispers the rest so quickly that I can't understand her, as sharp as my hearing is. Carlisle looks at her then nods understandingly while everyone else gives each other worried looks. They seem to have heard her… I look down and fidget with my bracelets, deciding to wait till everyone tells me what's going on instead of asking. Carlisle turns to me.

"Amalia, have you experienced anything… unusual or strange or… DIFFERENT about yourself, even when you were younger?" he asks. What was he talking about? Alice looks at me and back to him before I can speak, she explains to him.

"She has no idea… and she told me that when she was little… she couldn't see her shadow. And I… saw that she is," Alice says. Carlisle sighs.

"Do you like food? I mean… do you eat 3 meals a day?" he asks, everyone's attention turned to me. Great, now I'm the center of attention. I hated being the center of attention. But whatever they were talking about, it seemed pretty important that I answer honestly.

"No… I prefer to just drink and stay hydrated… I also um… have drunk blood before, because for some reason, it satisfies me more than food… I'm sorry, I know that's weird. Please don't be grossed out- it's just that you guys seemed like you needed to—" I respond, beginning to ramble. Why did I tell them that? It just spilled out… no one knew about that except… me.

"It's okay," Carlisle cuts me off, smiling a bit to comfort me, as everyone looks at him expectantly. "We need to know things like that… Amalia, sweetie. There's something I think we need to tell you… but I'm not sure how to, or how you'll take it…" he says, his expression turning worried. Whatever it was, I'm sure it couldn't be that bad or surprising. They were a family of serial killers on the run? They were undercover ninja-spies? I mean, anything's possible…

"You can tell me. I've heard just about everything…" I respond with a smile. They look at me gratefully and worried, still. What was everyone so wound up about?

"Amalia, we're… not human," what was he talking about? I just didn't understand.

"Then… um… what ARE you?" I said obliviously.

"We're… vampires," he explains. THAT WAS NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING.

"Um… excuse me?" I say stupidly. Now Edward speaks up.

"Amalia, we're…" he begins, but trails off with disgusted face. "But we don't drink human blood. We survive on animal blood. I wouldn't blame you if you walked out right now and never spoke to us again… but you can't tell ANYONE about this. Do you understand?" I nod stupidly.

"I would never tell anyone but… I need a little bit more of an explanation if you'd like me to keep my sanity," I say as everyone chuckles softly in response.

"We don't drink human blood, so just know this: As long as you are with us, you don't have to be afraid. We would NEVER hurt you," Alice chimes in, gently putting her arm around my shoulder. I smile.

"I know that, Alice," I say. She smiles sweetly at me.

"If anything, you should feel protected around us. We wouldn't let anything harm you, either," Rosalie says to me. I nod at her and look at Bella for the first time, and she is taking turns gaping at everyone, a horrified expression on her face.

"But before we tell you anything else about us, we think we know something about YOU as well, that you don't know yet," Carlisle says. Great, now they're psychic? "We believe that there is a very likely chance that you may be… one of us as well, but not completely. I think you are a… half-blood. Half human, half vampire. But we're not 100% sure… I have to run a few test on you first,"

Okay, WHAT? How could I be a… a 'half-blood'? It didn't make any sense… but it did in a way. That would explain why I liked blood better than food, and why I couldn't see my shadow, and why my hearing and eyesight were so beyond perfect, and why I couldn't really feel pain, and why I wasn't sensitive to the cold, and why I was so strong. I was a… half-blood.

"Um… wait… okay, take a step back. I'm WAY beyond confused and overwhelmed," I say, shaking my head.

"It's okay to be confused, honey! You've reacted so well… I'm surprised!" Esme says with a giggle. I smile at her.

"The main thing we're telling you is that we're vampires and you are most likely a half-blood. I'm sorry for their dragging explanations," Jasper says with a smirk, cocking his eyebrow. Suddenly, I feel calm and it is clear to me. I am a half-blood and the Cullens are vampires. I smile back at him. Everyone chuckles knowingly and they begin to explain more to me.

"Some of us have special abilities," Emmett says to me. "I don't have one… I'm just the strongest," he says with a cocky grin. I roll my eyes playfully and smile back.

"I actually have a special ability," Edward says, looking down at the table. "I can… read minds." So the guy knows everything I'm thinking now, too? Great! Just as I think that, Edward smiles understandingly.

"Yeah, it can get REALLY annoying, him reading your thoughts every second of the day and always commenting on them like we're having a conversation with him," Alice says, glaring at him. "I, on the other hand, have a gift that DOESN'T make people want to think of different ways to torture me… and want me to hear them. I can see the future. That's what I said i… SAW. I saw you being a half-blood and some other things about you," she says with a proud smile. So the pixie-like girl WAS psychic? Well I guess I was dead on before… Edward chuckles then rolls his eyes for some reason that I don't even care to know.

"Wow. So you guys are like… mind readers and psychics and… well does anyone else have any special… powers?" I say, and everyone turns to Jasper.

"Well, I have the ability to feel and control other people's emotions…" he responds smugly. No wonder I got all calm and mellow before! That was SO unlike me. I chuckle and respond, "So that's why you always look like you're… in pain?"

"That and… I'm still very sensitive to human blood and it's very complicated and painful for me to be around them all day in school," he explains. "But when we first met you, I wasn't as… thirsty. I guess you being a half-blood explains that."

I smile in return. "Well I'm glad I bring you comfort." Everyone laughs. Bella speaks up for the first time.

"You can't tell anyone about this- do you understand? If you do, your life will be threatened and so will the Cullens and mine. And even though you're a half-blood and all that, you need to know that you WILL be taking a great risk in being with us," she says. Whoa, what happened to feeling comfortable? What was Bella getting so wound up about?

"Bella," everyone quietly says to her. She rolls her eyes and sighs, looking down and blushing.

"Amalia, you are safe with us. If you have any questions about you being a half-blood, Carlisle is always here. If you need someone to vent to or ask for advice, Rosalie and I are there for you. If you need a shopping buddy, our Alice is your gal. If you have any questions about vampires and their history, Jasper is very experienced. If you want someone to just chill with, Emmett is a big log, so he's good for that. If you want to know how it feels… coexisting with vampires, Bella's the one you can go to. And if you need anything at all, Edward is here. He told me how much he cares for you," Esme informs me with a smile. "And if you need a place to stay or anything, you're ALWAYS welcome."

"Thank you, Esme. I really appreciate it. I actually came down here on my own, because I don't have parents… I, uh, ran away from them when I was younger and lived with my aunt, then moved in with my… ex-boyfriend. But I came here so I can get away from him and … start over," I explain sheepishly. I could trust these people. There's a chorus of 'oh's' and 'aw's' throughout the room. Suddenly Edward bursts up out of his chair, banging his fists on the table.

"Who is he? What did he do to you to make you run away?" he growls. I stand up and walk to the other side of the table, where he is having an outburst.

"It's okay, Edward," I say soothingly, rubbing his shoulder gently. "He didn't really… DO anything. He was just very… violent and destructive and ignorant."

"Sit down, Eddie. She's okay. She's here with us now; he won't find her," Carlisle says to Edward, comforting him. Edward inhales and exhales deeply before turning to me.

"I'm sorry, I just… I just care about you," he says, gazing intensely into my blue eyes.

_A/N OK, so what did you guys think? Good? Bad? Great? Horrible? Any questions, suggestions, or comments? Please R&R! 3_


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N Ok, so I know their relationship is slightly confusing right now, and some of you had questions._

_Cleo4ever44- Thank you! Also, Edward and Bella are still together… for now. Amalia and Edward will be together soon. _

_Also, for all the Team EdBella's or just Team Bella's, I'm not going to leave her alone in the dust like that. No worries. Okay, now you may proceed. :D _

"I care about you too, Edward," I respond, looking back at him. I smile and turn back to Carlisle.

"So, we have to run some tests before being certain about what you are. Would you like to do that… now?" Carlisle offers. "And remember… I'm a doctor."

I laugh and agree with him. "Sure, sounds great."

He stands up from his chair and gestures for everyone to follow. He leads us to the front door, where he walks outside and around the side of the house to the big garage, where there are about 4 cars parked inside. He goes in first and sets up some equipment along a long silver counter. Alice and Jasper lean against the wall, gazing on. Rosalie and Emmett sit on the hood of his humungous Jeep, watching intently. Bella sits beside Esme on the hood of Rosalie's red sports car, looking down. Carlisle tells me to come over to him and Edward follows behind me.

I sit down in a foldable chair across from Carlisle, and Edward looks over us, watching what Carlisle does with a concerned face. Carlisle ties a rubber string type of thing around my bicep and everyone is silent. He has a small needle attached to a small tube that goes into a test tube. He takes an alcohol pad and wipes the bend of my arm with it.

He takes the small, shiny needle and carefully sticks it in my vein where he wiped the alcohol. The needle goes beneath my skin and I don't feel anything. He tapes the needle to my skin once it is in and blood begins to travel through the long tube into the test tube. After about 30 seconds he removes the needle and I see a small drop of blood where the needle was.

Suddenly my throat burns and I look away, trying to swallow. It would be disgusting to lick it when there was an entire family watching…

Carlisle realizes and his eyes go wide in surprise. "Amalia, I'm so sorry! I forgot that you're still sensitive to blood," he exclaims and quickly puts a band aid over it.

I breathe and smell the blood again, wafting from the tube filled with the dark red liquid. My throat burns as if there is an iron being shoved down my throat and I close my eyes tightly shut, hoping to escape the horrible feeling. Suddenly I can't take it anymore- I move at the speed of light, like I never have before, to the outside of the garage. Once I'm outside, I press my back against the wall and gasp for fresh air. The clean smell of grass and dew fills my nostrils and I am relieved. I look up to see Edward standing over me, a worried look in his eyes.

I have never been so sensitive to blood before… I guess it was because it was a lot in a tube that was open…?

He stares down at me and I look into his liquid topaz eyes. He moves his face closer to mine and closes his eyes. I close my eyes as well and live in the moment. Edward was something… amazing. He was so perfect, I couldn't even grasp it. We had barely talked and we had some sort of… connection. There was something between us that we didn't even know about.

"Edward," Bella's voice pierces through the silence and the wonderful moment. I open my eyes and Edward abruptly moves away from me and looks at Bella.

"Bella…" he begins.

"How… could you? Why are you doing this?" she stutters, the blood rushing to her face and turning her cheeks red. The smell of her blood makes its way toward me and my throat is completely dry. It feels as if it is on fire. I have never reacted so strongly to the scent of blood before and I can't take it. My mind suddenly blanks out and I feel as though I can't control myself at all. I feel like I am someone else.

All at once, I am running toward her at unimaginable speed and I knock her to the ground. I land on top of her, holding down her arms. She screams and it sounds as if someone on the other side of the world could hear her. She screams and gasps and I bear my teeth. I run my tongue over my top teeth, and I feel my top teeth scratch my tongue as if they are… fangs. I move my face to her neck and viciously bite into it, my teeth breaking through her skin. She screams louder and louder.

The blood rushes down my throat, soothing it and putting out the 'fire.' It tastes sweet and delicious, so I drink more. Someone's arms grab me roughly around my waist and yank me off of her, throwing me to the ground. I land on the soft field of grass, sliding across it. I hear Bella's bloodcurdling screams and I snap into reality again and regain my sanity.

Edward, Carlisle, Esme are standing over Bella and comforting her. Esme is smoothing her hair and whispering panicked words to Carlisle, as he holds her arms down as her chest rapidly moves up and down as she gasps between screams. Edward is… biting her neck. I don't understand anything that's happening or just happened. I'm completely confused.

Alice is consoling me. "Amalia… it's okay. I understand…" as she kneels beside me. Emmett is pinning my arms to my sides and Jasper is looking down at me.

"I… understand, too. I'm sorry," he says before kneeling down beside Alice. I look at them, confused and scared.

"I… what did I do? I'm so sorry! I blew it… I swear, I'm going to kill myself. I don't deserve to live…" I say, shaking my head. I shouldn't be able to live. I deserve to die. I just… BIT someone. And drank their blood! "Is she okay? Is she going to live? Why the hell did I do that? It doesn't make any sense…!"

Alice and Jasper look at each other with worry in their eyes. "Can you control yourself?" Alice asks intently.

"Yes! I swear, but we have to go make sure she's okay!" I say and begin to push Emmett off of me. I launch up off the ground, and realize how strong I feel. I race over to Bella at the speed of light as they follow behind me. When we get there, Carlisle is not holding Bella down anymore. Her screams have faded out and she is gasping for air.

Edward lifts his head from her neck and looks at me, sadness in his eyes. There is blood on his lips and a drop slowly trickles down the side of his mouth. I gaze at him and then look at the bite on Bella's neck.

There are two crescent shaped bloody bite marks on her skin. They look very deep, and I look down into her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Bella," I say. And I really mean it. "I don't know what came over me…"

She just looks up at me and her gasps begin to stop. She slowly steadies her breathing and blinks, looking at everyone.

Carlisle looks at all of us. "Edward went to suck the venom out, but her blood was clean…"

Everyone looks at each other, confused. "This means that she is in fact a half-blood, because it looks like a vampire bite and she couldn't inflict that sort of… injury if she were human. But she doesn't have venom… so I'm going to test out her blood and see what else I can find out about her species," he declares.

"But first, we have to get Bella inside and bandaged up before she… loses too much blood," he says and scoops her up in his arms easily as if she weighed nothing. He strolls into the house with Bella's limp, pale body in his arms and disappears inside. Esme follows behind him silently along with Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett. Edward and I stay behind, confused and overwhelmed. Edward looks down at me, the blood drop still at the corner of his mouth, making its way down to the right side of his chin.

I look up at him and he speaks first. "Amalia… I have to speak to you, although this is an inappropriate time."

"Of course," I respond.

"Okay. I… I don't understand. Ever since you came here, the feelings I thought were not erasable toward Bella have been fading slowly. And I think I'm beginning to… have feelings for… you," he says the last part so quietly that I can barely hear it. My eyes widen in shock. Edward? Likes ME? I reach up without thinking and wipe away the drop of blood very gently with my thumb. His skin is perfectly smooth and ice cold, but I don't flinch.

"I like you too…" I respond. He gives me a pained look before speaking again.

"But… how could I do this to Bella? I left her once already, and she didn't move on with her life. She refused. What would she do if I left her for someone else? Amalia, we haven't known each other for very long, but there is some sort of… connection between us that we both know," he says, but he has a distant look in his eyes.

"I know and… we can't ignore it," I say before softly stroking his cheek with the back of my hand. When I touch his face, it's as if an electric shock goes through me. He shuts his eyes and leans his face toward mine, his lips only about an inch from mine.

I try to breathe but inhale his sweet, un-describable scent. Just as he is about to close the small space between us, realization hits him. He opens his eyes, not moving away from me.

"We can't do this," he whispers softly, and I feel his warm breath against my face. I look down.

"I know," I say simply.

"Give it a little bit more time, and we'll see… where it goes," he says before slowly pulling away from me. He looks pained to do so, put he begins walking quickly toward the house. I follow behind and we go inside to find Bella lying on the couch with a damp towel across her forehead and an IV tube connected into her arm, connecting to a machine beeping quietly next to her face.

Edward quietly walks in and I follow behind. When we get to Bella and I look down at her, she is paler than usual, her lips and skin pale, dry and clammy. When she sees my face, she clenches her teeth and turns her face to look up at Edward's. He looks down at her and gently strokes her cheek with the back of his hand. He leans down and gently kisses her on her dry lips and she leans up slightly, kissing him back passionately.

She puts her hand around his neck and tangles her fingers in his hair, breathing heavily. She leans up all the way and pulls him closer to her, so there is no space at all between them. He takes one hand and pushes her away from him and pulls his face back. She falls back onto the couch, gasping for breath.

"Bella!" Edward exclaims while giving her a look as if she were insane. "What is _wrong _with you?" She stares at him, wide eyed.

"What's wrong with _me? _What's wrong with _you,_ Edward? You practically just met Amalia and you're already about to leave me for her? How could you do this, Edward? Why?" she demands furiously, her eyes watering up. I slowly begin to back up, but before I can back out the door, she jumps off the couch and races toward me. I stay still as she begins to scream things at me that can break me beyond repair.

"You are the _reason _this is happening! If you hadn't come waltzing into this town and tried to steal away the love of my life, Edward would still love me! I always knew he was far too good for me, but why did he have to leave me for you? I know you are prettier than me, and smarter than me, and you don't hurt him every time you're with him, but he is the only thing I have!" she shouts at me. "You're the reason my life is ruined! I swear you don't even deserve Edward… I do. You're just some 'mysterious' new girl that everyone finds attractive. But really, I know that on the inside, you're just a big problem. Your life is made up of problems, and you just drag everyone else into them!"

I back away slowly and I feel like crying, but that's something else I could never do. I whip around and run as fast as I can out the door, kicking up the dirt behind me as my feet slam against the grassy field. I don't hear anyone else, but when I get to the forest to go back the way I got into this mess, Edward is beside me.

"Amalia," he says. "Don't go. It's dangerous for you to be out on your own as a half-blood. Other vampires will want to… investigate you. You can't leave."

"No? Well, watch me," I say and turn, walking angrily away from Edward and continuing toward civilization. I needed to get back to Jacob.

I feel a very cold, rock hard hand grab mine gently and pull me back. "No. I won't let you leave… no matter what it costs me. I can't let you get hurt," he says softly.

_So what did you think? I am asking for at least 3 reviews for this chapter, and as soon as I have 3, I will update! So please R&R! Thank you! _


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